One of the newest additions to the POINT 3 team uniform family is 43Hoops, a program from Hopkins, Minnesota, just outside of Minneapolis.

43Hoops 15U Elite at the Lone Star Invitational

43Hoops was originally founded by former NBA player Chris Carr in 2004. Carr starred for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the best NBA season of his six-year career. He was actively involved with the program until this season, as he recently relocated and accepted a position with the Kansas State Women’s Basketball team.

Jason Vaughn, the Assistant Club Director and Head Coach of 43Hoops’ 15U Elite squad, has been with the program for five years.

“We’ve got around 130 players in our program, ranging from 4th grade through High School,” Coach Vaughn says. “We focus on skill development vs. running set plays. We look for that continuous player improvement – winning is just a bonus."

One thing that sets 43Hoops apart from many other youth basketball programs is that they have their own facility.

“Even most sneaker-sponsored teams don’t have their own gyms!” Coach Vaughn laughed. “We’re very lucky that the founders of 43 Hoops had strong ties in the local community. In 2007 they took what was originally built as a fitness center and later used a church, and as they say, the rest is history.”

For 43Hoops, most of the program’s older teams play between 8 and 10 weekends during the spring and summer, with about 60-70% of those tournaments happening out of state. In 2016, the program traveled to Indianapolis, Chicago, and San Diego, and this year’s stops include Wichita, Las Vegas, and Dallas, where the 15U team is 9-0 in NY2LA League play.

“While we focus on skill development over wins, we’re always looking for the best possible competition for our teams, so we are willing to travel,” Coach Vaughn continued.

“All of our kids are treated fairly, and all of our players get better: that’s the value that we try to deliver to everyone who signs up with 43Hoops.”